On 9 Jul 2015, a CESSNA 150J J operated by Air Aerial Advertising was involved in an aviation accident near Renton, WA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall/spin. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot reported that during a banner towing operation, the airplane stalled after the banner began pulling, increased drag, and exceeded critical angle of attack. The airplane impacted left wing first, sustaining substantial damage.
Incident Overview
A pilot conducting banner towing operations reported that after passing through the banner pickup gates, he applied full throttle and pitched the nose up. Once the airspeed reached 40 miles per hour (MPH), he looked back to confirm the banner pickup was successful. When he turned back around, the airspeed had decreased, and simultaneously the banner began "pulling," which increased drag and caused the airplane to exceed its critical angle of attack. The airplane aerodynamically stalled, descended, and impacted the ground.
Impact and Damage
The airplane struck the ground left wing first. Substantial damage was sustained to both wings and the fuselage.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Contributing factors
PilotAirspeed — Not attained/maintainedAngle of attack — Not attained/maintained